Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven


    Nighttime came way too fast.


    Decisions like this were easier said than done. I couldn''t tell my mother I was leaving. She couldn''t know I was leaving with Nick either, just because things could go very wrong and he might not return back with me. I stared at the nk paper on the table.


    I couldn''t just leave without writing my mother a letter, just in case...


    "Gotta take a walk; I''ll be backte. I have some good news too. Nick just OFFICIALLY proposed to me, and now I get the hype. The ring is so beautiful, and I am actually... excited.


    I love you, mom, always.


    XXX


    I reread the letter; it would have to do.


    packed up some of those beautiful jewelry I had gotten from Thane into a bag-I had finally found use for them as I rarely did wear them.


    I put on a ck coat over my leather trousers and crop top, and I walked out of


    I met Nick at the farm; he did love this ce, and I admired that.


    "You came quick," he says.


    "Of course I would."


    "So do we have a ride?"


    my room.


    I noticed his eyes traveled to the ring on my finger; of course I hadn''t removed it.


    "I wanted to talk to you, Riley."


    "About what? We don''t havemuch time."


    "I just don''t want you to rush into this; I can''t..."


    "Hey," I cut him off. "We made a deal. Iwant this," I said to him, and I could see the reluctance in his eyes; he was having second thoughts. It took me some huge effort to push through my indecisiveness and make this decision. I feared if I tarried longer then I would change my mind, and maybe... maybe that''s what Nick hoped for. He didn''t seem as willing to go through with this as he had been when he made me the proposal. "No one knows I am with you," I assured him, but clearly that wasn''t why he was worried. "Let''s go then; we need to hurry if we n to get back early."


    I passed the bag I hade with to Nick.


    "What is this?" he asked. I unzipped it, revealing the jewelries. "Where did you get these?" he questioned with a smile.


    "Well, perks of living with the Alpha King."


    "Did you steal these?" he asked, with an amused smile.


    "Technically, they are mine.".


    "You want to see something really cool?" Nick asked, passing the bag back to me.


    I nodded eagerly.


    He stepped away from me, and for some seconds there was silence. I cocked my brow at him, and just then, dark wings, ck as night, sprang from his back. I gasped, backing away; my leg came into contact with something hard, and I fell to the ground. Nick looked.... like a fallen angel with those wings.


    "Don''t be afraid; this is our ride."


    "Well, you should have told me... what... what are you?" I asked


    "A turned one," he answered,ing closer to me. I backed away again, and abruptly, he picked me up like I weighed nothing. "They are just wings."


    "Yeah, right, sprouting out of your back. Do they work?" I asked, stretching out my hands to touch them.


    "No, they are just there to look cool," he says, and it took me a moment to notice he was just being sarcastic. "They do work."


    "I did say this would be our ride, didn''t I?" He questioned


    I nodded absentmindedly, my fingers still stroking the soft-hard feathers; it was difficult to exin how they felt against my skin.


    "Ready?" Nick asked, but before I gave a reply, we had alreadyunched into the air with the ground way below us.


    There was no turning back now.